


Darwin's Laws of Love and Attraction

by InsidiousIntent



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: 5 times Alex's date sucked, Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, Michael and Alex don't know each other, Michael as a bartender, and 1 time he got the guy, this is my attempt at humor, this is not a sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:07:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22487623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsidiousIntent/pseuds/InsidiousIntent
Summary: Liz and Kyle cornered him on a Sunday. Alex realized then that the brunch was a lie, the hang out was a lie, and his friends were all liars. He was cornered into an intervention.About his romantic life.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 31
Kudos: 157





	Darwin's Laws of Love and Attraction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [manesalex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex/gifts).



> This was supposed to be a holiday gift for her, but it turned into a super belated birthday gift to [manesalex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex/profile).  
> Super mega thanks to [brightloveee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightloveee/pseuds/brightloveee) for her attempts to make this look semi-presentable. Any and all mistakes are mine, and feel free to point them out in a nice, kind way :)

* * *

Liz and Kyle cornered him on a Sunday. Alex realized then that the brunch was a lie, the hang out was a lie, and his friends were all liars. He was cornered into an intervention. 

About his romantic life. 

“You need to date again,” Liz declared, in the middle of an otherwise great conversation. Alex froze with his mouth open, fork full of a bite of Arturo’s legendary huevos rancheros halfway to his face. 

“The hell, Liz?” he asked.

Liz wasn’t deterred. “It’s been a year since Forest. You need to go out, meet new people, have a _sex life_.” 

Kyle, who had nodding enthusiastically in agreement looked a little uncomfortable at the topic of sex. 

“Is this an intervention?” Alex whisper-shouted. “I _should_ have known when both of you were suddenly free and wanted brunch.” 

Kyle spoke up then, “it’s been a year Alex, and it’s like you came back to Roswell to waste away the rest of your life. We’re all too young to be this dejected with romance.” 

Alex scoffed. “Just because you both found yourself a rich supermodel-type soulmate in the Evans twins doesn’t mean it works like that for the rest of us.” 

Liz put her hand on his. “Look Alex, I know Forest hurt you, but we’re all your friends. We’re trying to help you.” 

Kyle put his arm around her shoulder, “Liz is right, we’re just trying to help you, Manes.” 

Alex wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn’t want Arturo to stop feeding him, by insulting his daughter in his restaurant. 

“We’ve already had your profile set up for a while now,” Kyle said showing him a _dating app_ of all things. Alex hoped it was Grindr and Kyle had to deal with the gross pervs lurking in Chaves County. 

“Oh next you’ll tell me you have a list ready for me,” he said, peeved. A single look at Liz and Kyle confirmed that nightmare scenario. “No way, not going to happen,” he tried to go for decisive, but the twin stares from his friends have been effective since high school, and Alex didn’t see that changing any time soon. 

“Maria has offered The Pony as a neutral spot,” Liz told him, smiling that he had acquiesced. “This way she can keep an eye on things.” 

“You mean so she can make sure I show up and then report to you about how the date goes.” 

Kyle and Liz had the broad grins of victory on their faces, and Alex knew he had lost this round. 

Alex sighed. “I prefer lean guys.” 

______

He got to the bar early, sitting on the counter instead of looking like a loser at a table. Keeping one eye on the door, he sat with his elbows on the bar, confident that Maria would tap him whenever she spotted him. 

Instead a honey smooth voice interrupted him. “What can I getcha?” 

Alex turned around to see a guy standing at the bar smiling at him. Sun warm skin, lean, with the most tragic case of curls on his head. Alex tried not to sigh. 

“I was waiting for Maria.” 

The bartender kept smiling, “ah yeah, she is handling some invoice business in the back, but I can help ya. You must be Alex.” 

It took a monumental effort not to roll his eyes. “Yeah, that’s me.” 

“Great! I’m Michael, and I’ll be your bartender-slash-waiter tonight. Why don’t I get you started while you wait for your date?” the guy said, plopping down a bottle of beer on the counter. 

So Alex sat, and waited for his date. The guy ended up being almost twenty minutes late. 

Wyatt Long was skinny. And a racist, sexist asshole.

“Well aren’t you _hot_ for a mixed breed?” 

_The hell._

“Well aren’t you mouthy for a white guy,” Alex responded. What made Liz and Kyle think this guy was a good date for Alex? 

The guy kept leering at Alex. “Yeah I say we ditch this dump, and go back to yours. I think I’m in the mood for exotic meat tonight.”

Alex felt annoyance bubble under his skin from head to toe. The fuck did this guy think he was? 

“Well howdy boys, how’s it goin’?” Michael the bartender stepped in, saving Wyatt from getting a beer bottle to the head. 

“ _Howdy_ Guerin, you joining us tonight?” Long’s leer moved from Alex to Michael. 

Michael’s smile was thin. “How bout you order something first?” he asked with deliberate politeness.

“Get us a beer, and come take a load off,” Long answered. Alex’s annoyance was now fully in anger territory. 

“I’ll take a beer thanks,” Alex said, just to be contrary. This date was already a disaster and Alex didn’t want to care any more. 

“You know what Guerin, why don’t you ditch this shitty ass job in this shitty ass dive, and join us,” Wyatt _kept talking_ , pointing at Alex and himself. “You’d look great on your knees, I bet.” 

The beer bottle in Michael’s hands tipped suddenly splashing a generous amount on the counter and dripping on Wyatt’s pants. Alex tried to hide his smile at Michael’s “oh gosh watch out there!” and the way he pushed the rag so more liquid would spill on Long’s pants. 

Once Long had taken off, without paying for any of the drinks, Alex got up to leave, ready to forget this night. He grabbed the receipt left by one of the other bartenders, Guerin needing to tend to a busier bar. A scratchy message at the end of the **$0.00** gave him pause. 

_Well that was the suckiest date ever. Drinks on the house for you :)_

______

“What the _hell_ is wrong with you two?!” he yelled, walking inside Max’s cabin, where Liz and Kyle were perched around Isobel and Max in the living room. 

Liz hummed with an obviously exaggerated pensive look. “So I guess you didn’t like him?” she guessed. Alex glared. 

“He was _terrible_. Cheap, racist bastard who was awful to the bartenders and left without paying for his drinks.” 

“Well so now we have the control variable set,” Kyle chimed in, from where he was giving Isobel a shoulder massage. Alex glared at him. 

“Sure is an extreme way to start an experiment,” Alex said, all fake casual like, throwing a couch pillow at Kyle. 

“We are very _thorough_ scientists,” Liz piped up from her perch. Alex rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen, ready for a full dinner as emotional remuneration for his suffering. 

“If the next pick is a total creep like Long, I will walk away and this will all be over,” he announced, coming out with a handful of food. 

Kyle and Liz both tried to get up to grab some of the food, and Alex had no problem shutting them out. 

“This is what you deserve,” he said, chewing happily. 

______

Hank Green was not racist or a creep. 

That’s pretty much where the list of good things ended for Alex. 

“Um, I thought you said your name was Hank,” Alex tried to ask, thrown by the sudden change in demeanor. 

“Hank is a boring tax accountant who has no life,” said the man formerly named Hank. He scanned the bar, and crouched low, stage whispering to Alex. “Forget about Hank. My real name is Granthor, and I’m here to save you from the aliens.”

Alex was nonplussed. “The...aliens.”

“The aliens from another planet,” the man, whatever his name was, continued. “They have infiltrated our planet, and I am here to save humanity.” 

“Isn’t that the plot of Terminator?” Alex tried to inject some normality back into the conversation. 

Hank or Granthor, scoffed and sat back. “That’s what they _want_ you to think. They are everywhere, and I’m going to save you and take you back to my bunker where I can keep you safe during the invasion.”

“Oh god,” Alex whispered. 

A big plate of nachos appeared on the bar counter and Michael showed up with silverware. “Here we go fellas,” he announced, pushing the cutlery at them. “One plate of finest nacho–”

“Hands off him, _whore_ ,” the man pretending to be Hank hissed, actually _hissed_ at Michael. 

“I was very sure I didn’t make the drinks that strong,” Michael murmured at Alex, eyes wide in alarm. 

“What in the entire fuck,” Alex whispered through gritted teeth, hoping Michael would get him out of this. 

“We need to preserve humanity’s DNA, and the best of human species must be secured immediately,” Granthor said, narrowing his eyes at Michael, placing one hand on Alex’s. “And no two-bit curly haired twink will get in my way.” 

“Ok there Man in Black, how bout you pay for your meal and we’ll call it even,” Michael said with such forced geniality Alex was sure he was going to get punched. 

Hank-slash-Granthor threw the plate of nachos at Michael. 

In the bathroom, Alex couldn’t stop apologizing to Michael. “I’m so so sorry, he started out so normal!” he said, wiping a big glob of cheese from his temple. “And you keep getting dragged into these messes.”

Michael waved a hand and moved to run his hands under the running faucet. “I deal with drunks every day, this isn’t even the worst case I’ve seen.” He ran his wet hands through his curls. “But _where_ in the world are you getting these dudes from?”

“A secret stash from my super evil friends,” Alex said with a deep sigh, settling back against the counter. Michael laughed.

“Everything makes more sense now,” Michael said, starting to unbutton his shirt. “But honestly, why does someone who looks like you need help finding dates?”

Alex flushed. “It’s a little more complicated than that.” He was not going to get into the reasons for his life choices with a stranger. “But I did appreciate your help. And the free drinks.”

“Deluca wasn’t super thrilled about Wyatt Long not paying, but we figured that out the next night.” 

And then Michael Guerin was shirtless. In a bathroom. Alone with Alex. Alex had subconsciously accepted that Michael was sort of good looking, in that old country cowboy way. But in that moment, staring that tanned expanse of skin, the toned biceps, and the chest hair, Alex could suddenly acutely feel the whole year of not having sex. 

“Good for you,” he murmured, not sure what he was even responding to anymore. He looked up to see Michael staring at him, eyes dark. Alex wondered if Maria would mind if he locked the bathroom door for 15 minutes so he could find out if Michael tasted as good as he looked. 

Impulses like that were what resulted in him single and lonely at age twenty-nine. He pulled his phone out and walked over to Michael, handing it over while keeping his eyes at appropriate level. 

“But if I had your number I could text you an SOS the next time my date goes downhill?” he offered, hoping he wasn’t coming off desperate. 

Michael’s smirk helped the moment pass quietly as he put his number in Alex’s phone. 

______

“How was that _better_?” he yelled at Liz on the phone. 

“Oh you didn’t like Hank?” Liz asked lightly, while she probably browsed through her list of trash people on trashville dot com to help ruin Alex’s life. 

“You mean did I like the doctor Jekyll side of him?” 

“Oh wow you already met Granthor?” She sighed. “He must really think you’re hot. He hasn’t tried to tried to kidnap a guy in a few years now.” 

“Oh good, let’s all ignore how I almost ended up a sex-slave,” Alex continued to yell. 

“But you _didn’t_ ,” Liz claimed loftily. “No worries, let’s try the good options now.” 

______

Vic is classically handsome, tall with golden blond hair and stunningly blue eyes, and Alex _hated_ him. 

“This is a little too rough even for a backcountry bar, right?” he asked, gesturing at the entire bar. 

“Oh can’t show off my millions until at least second date, am I right?” Arthur asked dryly, sipping his whiskey. 

“I mean is this whiskey even ten years old?” he asked, pausing to take a sip of his own drink. “It tastes like rubbing alcohol. And our bartender looks like he lives in a trailer and doesn’t shower more than once a year.” 

“I guess we have different tastes,” Alex tried being blunt. 

“No shit,” Vic responded bitterly. “I was told you were quote mega hot.” 

“And I was told I was going on a date with a human, not a people hating tin man, but we can’t all get what we want,” Alex responded, completely over it. 

“Who the hell do you think you are,” Victor the loser started. Michael strolled up to their booth, bartender smile on his face. 

“What can I get you fellas for dinner?” he asked, tilting his head at Alex slightly. 

“Can I order you a shower, _fella_ ,” Victor said. Michael’s smile wiped off his face in a flash. 

“Beg your pardon?” 

Alex decided to drown in his drink. 

“Listen bud, this whole bar is an offense to the concept of a bar. The floor is so sticky, it’s velcro, and you. You smell like the river and your hair is like a crow’s nest.” 

Michael listened to the whole rant with a neutral look on his face. Alex felt like the ground opening up and swallowing him whole would be less painful than this specific moment. 

“Well then big guy, we better not keep you too long. Don’t worry about the bill though, you look like you need the money to buy more fitting clothes.” 

Alex was too busy snorting out his drink through his nose, so he never saw Victor’s fist coming for Michael. 

______

“Worth it,” Michael claimed later, as he held a bag of ice to his cheek while Alex examined what will be a spectacular shiner. He couldn’t believe Michael got stuck in the middle of his disastrous date _again_.

“Absolutely, but it shouldn’t have been you,” Alex said. 

Michael shrugged. “Third time was definitely not the charm huh,” he continued, teasing but not unkind. Alex chuckled and shook his head. 

“I _have_ to ask why you’re still doing this,” Michael asked, curious. 

“A strong sense of loyalty and love for my friends,” Alex said, stepping away from Michael and staring down at the bar counter. “And a growing sense of realization that my friends are right about me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well look at me, I’m incapable of making a connection with anyone. I’m a commitmentphobe.” Alex said, stunned at himself for being so candid with a man he’d only talked to a couple times before that night.

“I don’t want to alarm you, but I don’t think your friends are very good at this whole setting you up thing,” Michael said, commiserating. 

Alex laughed, grateful for the change in subject, and looked up at him. 

“How do you know the next one won’t be The One and we’ll skip off after the date to live happily ever after?” Alex asked, still grinning. 

“Maybe you will,” Michael’s voice was low and shy, his face reflecting Alex’s grin. 

Alex stayed at the counter, unable to stop looking at Michael. His relationship with Forest was so long ago, a rush of youth and hormones, but it wasn’t like this. It felt like a lifetime since he’d felt this kind of attraction to someone, a slow simmering boil of feelings, like discovering pieces of a painting that made up a whole. Michael’s smirking smile, his unruly curls as they flowed around his face, his long fingers dancing around in a nervous gesture. Alex couldn’t help but be charmed. 

Alex hadn’t felt this bold in years, not since before Forest. Now he felt a quiet sense of thrill as his hand moved of its own volition, reaching out to run his fingers down Michael’s wrist to his fingers tapping on the counter. 

Michael’s hand stilled at the touch. His eyes landed on Alex’s face, so dark and deep that Alex found his resolve faltering, the need to keep touching Michael growing. He wanted to know the shape of Michael, to run his fingers through those wild curls. He wanted to think of ways to get close, of touching, of _tasting_. 

He cleared his throat and stepped away from the counter. “I guess I’ll just keep looking then,” he said softly, keeping his eyes on Michael. Michael’s smile is slow as molasses, warming him up from the inside. “Guess you should.”

______

“Are you punishing me, Liz? Is that what’s happening here?” he asked wearily. 

“Look just confirm to us that you hated the Ken doll,” Kyle shouted through the speakers. At Alex’s sigh, Liz piped up closer to the phone. “We just needed to make sure vapid dudes like that weren’t really your type. Just a simple process of elimination.”

“I don’t want to really do this anymore, you guys,” Alex said. He felt extra tired that night and was having a hard time remembering why he agreed to go through this. 

“Ok listen Alex, this next person is someone wonderful,” Liz responded, immediately cajoling. “He knows the Evans twins and you’ll like him.”

“I don’t know, Liz.” 

“Alex, please.” 

“No Liz.” 

“Listen Alex,” Kyle added, joining Liz closer to the phone. “We promise you’ll like this guy, and we do absolutely love you and want the best for you.” 

“ _Fine_.”

______

Noah Bracken was handsome, and funny, and laid back. Alex found himself enjoying the conversation, and was surprised to see that half hour had passed without Alex feeling the urge to cut and run. So of course the other shoe had to drop. 

“So you’re friends with Max and Isobel,” he said, trying to get to know Noah better. 

Noah’s whole demeanor changed. One second he was this fun laidback guy, and suddenly he wasn’t making eye contact, and looked squirrely. 

“Uh yeah, we’re..close. Yes, um are you and...are you her, I mean them. They. Are you close to them? The Evans twins?” 

Alex _knew_ his luck wasn’t that great. 

“Yeah we all grew up together. How do you know them?”

“Oh I work at Phil Evans’ law firm, that’s where I met her, I mean I met them first.” 

Alex tried not to sigh out loud. The guy clearly was interested in Isobel, not Alex. 

“Look man, why are you really here?” he asked. 

Noah, to Alex’s utter mortification, started _tearing up_. 

“I’m in love with her. I haven’t seen anyone so beautiful, and smart, and confident in my life.” he started sobbing openly. “I love her, and I couldn’t say no to her.”  
Alex wanted to run. 

Michael showed up suddenly then. “Hi there, folks. Is everything ok over here?” he asked, voice a little panicked. Noah started crying even harder. 

“All I did was for love! If she wants me to go out with you, that’s what I’ll do,” he said between loud sobs. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry Michael,” Alex whispered. 

Noah blew his nose loudly into a tissue. 

“Stop stop! Please! Look, you don’t have to do this. I really won’t mind if we just hung out as buddies. That’s _all_!” Alex pleaded, ready to do anything to get Noah to stop crying. 

Noah looked up, big brown watery eyes on Alex. “You promise? Do you think I still have a shot with Isobel since our date ended badly?”

“I can’t tell you anything about that, my friend,” Michael said, in an appeasing voice. “But if you leave me a thirty percent tip, I can tell you her favorite foods and flowers.” 

Alex’s head jerked sharply to stare at Michael. “What? Since when do you know Isobel Evans?”

Noah’s bottom lip trembled. “Please don’t tell me you’re dating her.”

______

Maria Deluca walked in as Michael walked a semi-drunk Noah out the bar and into a cab. “Alex Manes. Why are you bringing crazies into my bar?” she asked, after giving Alex a long hug.

“I really am sorry, Maria. But I promise you this is all Liz and Kyle’s fault.”

“Leave him alone, Deluca,” Michael said, strolling back inside. “The guy’s had a rough night.” 

“The _guy_ ’s had many rough nights,” Maria drawled. “Tell Liz I don’t need any more circus acts.” 

Alex rolled his eyes, but understood where Maria was coming from. “Look I can’t promise they aren’t going to pick _unique_ dates for me, but if you don’t want me to come here I’ll understand.” 

Maria sighed and punched him lightly in the arm. “Of course not, how else will I get Guerin to keep an extra close eye on you?” she teased, looking at Michael for some reason. Michael smirked and winked at her. “I am very good at watching.” 

Maria rolled her eyes and walked away, kissing Alex on the cheek. “Don’t even think about going anywhere else, but seriously tell Kyle and Liz to calm down a notch or twelve.”

Alex turned to look at Michael who was still standing at the bar counter, in front of him. 

“Well, that went just about as well as I thought-” he started to say, when Michael cut him off with a kiss. 

His mouth tasted like Kentucky bourbon and mint leaves, and Alex curled his tongue to chase the flavor. They kissed slowly, unhurried, like the night was young and they had all the time in the world. It reminded Alex of why he loved this, the slow movement of lips on lips, the friction of teeth and tongues, the soft touch of fingertips on his face, his jaw, his neck. 

They pulled away after a long minute. Alex stayed staring at Michael’s face. “I’m not sorry,” he said softly. 

“Good,” Michael replied, “I would’ve taken offense, otherwise.” His eyes were bright, and there was a soft flush on his cheeks, and Alex hadn’t seen someone so beautiful in a long, long time. 

They stay for another minute, or maybe it’s ten. He stopped keeping track, it had been a very long time since he’d done this. Kissing for the sake of kissing. The long, leisurely mapping of Michael’s mouth. 

It’s only later when he’s stumbled out of the bar, forced away when Maria had screamed at Michael to get back to work, he realized this was the first date that hadn’t left him tired. 

______

Alex walked into Kyle’s apartment determined to put an end to things. He loved his friends, but he was going to commit violence on their persons if this sick game continued. 

Kyle and Liz had prepared a lavish breakfast fit for six people, it seemed. Alex realized the apartment was sparkling clean, almost as if Kyle had paid someone to clean every corner of the place. Liz greeted him, radiant in a bright yellow sundress, and even Kyle had decided to clean up, looking sharp in a navy button down. Alex frowned at their bright smiles. 

“Why do I feel like you’re both scheming again?” he asked, sitting down at the over the top decorated dining table. 

“We’re _not_ scheming, we’re making sure you have a fantastic breakfast,” Kyle said with the confidence of a con-man. Alex wasn’t even remotely fooled.  
“That definitely makes me feel very safe about whatever is going to happen next,” he mumbled. 

“Doesn’t the breakfast look good, Alex? This is our apology to you,” Liz said, with a grand flourish of her hands. Alex couldn’t help but be charmed. 

“Yes it really is, and thank you for a delicious apology,” Alex responded, happy that his friends were finally over the madness of trying to fix his love life. He wouldn’t have to give them an angry speech and order them to stop, afterall. 

“And to show you how sorry we are, we wanted to introduce you to Lance,” Kyle said, bringing in an incredibly handsome guy into the room. 

Alex was wrong. He was going to kill his friends. 

“We’ll leave you two to talk. Ok bye!” Liz chirped, grabbing Kyle’s elbow and dragging him out of the room. 

Lance was. He was very handsome, kind, and morally upright. 

He looked around the room, one hand on the back of his head, a shy gesture of unfamiliarity. “I’m sorry I had no idea they hadn’t told you about me,” he said, apologetic. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about you from Liz and Kyle.” 

Alex felt odd, a strange need to refute Lance bubbling in his chest. 

“Well that’s - that’s very nice of them,” he offered instead. Lance took a seat across from him, and suddenly they were talking. The conversation flowed smoothly, from Alex’s disastrous dates to his work, to music and other topics. Lance turned out to be a doctor, recently returned from a stint with Doctors Without Borders, and looking to set roots back home. 

The entire time Alex feels odd, like he’s having an out of body experience. He knows he’s enjoying his time with Lance, and it felt great to have a good conversation with a handsome man who looked sincerely interested in him. But there was an odd sensation in his chest, a gentle bubble of unhappiness that kept growing. He needed to stop. He needed to be somewhere else. He needed to not be _here._

“I’m sorry, is everything ok Alex?” Lance suddenly asked, jolting him out of his thoughts. 

“Yes! No. I think, I’m sorry,” Alex said, standing up and grabbing his coat. 

“What do you mean?”

“You’re wonderful, and _very_ good looking, and if we had met three weeks ago I would have absolutely been invested,” Alex blurted, refusing to make eye contact. “But I’m sorry Lance, I have somewhere else to be.” 

Lance smiled at him. “It’s ok Alex, I understand.” 

Alex left. 

_______

It was almost lunchtime by the time he made it to the Wild Pony, so of course he found the parking lot empty. Marching inside he hoped he’d find Michael there, but he was ready to bribe Maria for his address if needed. He came up to Maria at the bar, busy ordering people to move bottles and finalizing her books. 

“Hey Maria,” he greeted. “Is Guerin around?”

Maria turned around to greet him. “Hey Alex! Is that all I’m good for these days? Giving you info on cute boys?” 

Alex grinned, pulling out the wrapped box of Tom Ford perfume he had bought. “Well I figured you’d say something like that, so I’m here to sweeten the deal.” Maria made grabby hands at the White Patchouli fragrance, face split open in a wide grin. “Fine fine, your bribe is acceptable. Guerin is stuck in the backroom doing inventory.” She shoved him lightly to get him moving. 

“Oh and Alex,” she called when he was almost at the door, “you better not try to have sex with Guerin in my backroom. If you break _any_ bottle of liquor, I’m charging you.” Alex rolled his eyes and gave her the finger. Her laughter carried after him right into the small hallway to the backroom of the Pony. 

He found Michael deep in the bowels of the storage room, surrounded by crates of bottles. He had a pen stuck in his curls, and his probably white shirt was dusty brown. He was the most beautiful thing Alex had seen. Or will see. 

“What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” Alex said, trying his best for levity even as his nerves were failing him. Michael whirled around and stared, a little confused. 

“Alex! What are you doing here? Does Deluca know you’re here?” he responded, trying to see if Maria was behind Alex. 

Alex chuckled. “Yeah, she knows. I couldn’t be here without her blessing.” 

“What _are_ you doing here?” 

“Oh um,” Alex started. He looked around the semi-dark room and at Michael, and back at the room. “I came here to make a gesture.” 

“A gesture?”

Alex pulled out the single red rose he’d been holding behind his back. He hoped Michael wasn’t allergic. 

“It’s been a very long time since I decided to actually show an interest in a guy. To put myself out there.” He stopped. Michael took two steps closer to him. 

“But then my friends got involved, and their ideas of romance for me were something out of a B grade horror movie,” he kept talking, unable to stop now. “And the dates were so bad, that it was easy to justify being single. To tell my friends it was their bad picks, not my own fears keeping me away from people.” 

Michael was within touching distance now, looking at him with a bemused expression. 

“But then I ran out of bad dates,” Alex continued. “And I ran out of excuses about why I kept coming back here, and why it was so easy to get through those bad dates.” He moved his free hand to touch Michael’s shoulder, moving up to his collar-bone in a slow, measured move of his fingers. 

“I just met a great guy. Liz just flung him at me, and he was _perfect_. Handsome, and tall, and a doctor, and had the best things to say -” Michael raised a hand to stop him. “I get it Alex,” he said, moving to turn around and Alex stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

“No Michael, you don’t get it. You don’t because I left him sitting there in Kyle’s posh apartment, with the lovely dining table full of breakfast foods,” Alex was aware he was rambling, but he couldn’t stop if he tried. 

“I left him because in that perfect moment, with the perfect man, all I could think about was you.” 

That was all he could say before Michael had moved in, pulling him close to kiss him like he would die without the kiss. They push apart for a single perfect moment, but stay swaying, foreheads touching. 

“I really like you, Alex,” Michael said, finally breaking the silence. 

“I like you too, Michael,” Alex responded. “But I’m scared that I’ll mess up the only good thing to come out of these disastrous dates.” 

Michael smiles softly and opened his mouth to respond. 

The door of the storage room banged open. Liz and Kyle stood at the door, arms crossed, twin scowls on their faces. 

“Are you _serious_ , Alex?” Liz demanded loudly, “ _this_ is why you bailed on Lance? You wanted to make out with one of Maria’s shady bartenders?”

“Who the hell are you calling shady?” Michael yelled back. 

“ _Guerin_?!” Kyle and Liz both yelled. 

“What? What is happening?” Alex asked. 

“Oh nothing, these morons are dating my siblings,” Michael chirped, pointing a thumb at Liz and Kyle. 

Liz broke out into a grin, “welcome to the family, Alex!” 

Alex grabbed Michael’s hand and made a run out of the bar.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [Tumblr](https://insidious-intent.tumblr.com/)


End file.
